


Turning The Page

by CarpeDM



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon fic, M/M, solangelo, solangelo anthology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 11:50:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4478267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarpeDM/pseuds/CarpeDM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will has been keeping a journal ever since he arrived at Camp Half-Blood.</p><p>My submission for the Solangelo Anthology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Turning The Page

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the [Solangelo Anthology](http://solangeloanthology.tumblr.com/) which can be downloaded [here](http://solangeloanthology.tumblr.com/post/125622224980/the-solangelo-anthology-is-here-featuring-a). You should check out the whole thing. It's beautiful, with lots of amazing fics and beautiful artworks. 
> 
> The art you'll find in this fic was created by [Royal-Society-Of-Pandas](http://royal-society-of-pandas.tumblr.com/) and [LikeMyBonfireHeart](http://likemybonfireheart.tumblr.com/). Thank you both so much!

 

> My dad dropped two new kids off at camp today. A boy - Nico, and a girl - Bianca. They both have black hair, so I don’t think we have the same dad.
> 
> They’re not claimed yet, but I hope it won’t be long. The Hermes cabin is getting so crowded, and it’s no fun to sleep on the floor. I still remember what it’s like to sleep in there, before I found out who my father was.
> 
> I think Nico is as old as I am and he plays this card game with figurines, and it looks like a lot of fun. I think he has a figurine of my dad, but I haven’t asked him yet. Maybe I’ll ask him if he wants to teach me how to play soon.

-x-

> It’s been a while since the last quest was issued, so now all we can do is wait and hope that everyone comes back safely. Nico’s sister is on the quest, and I think he’s a little bit sad about it. I can’t blame him, but I’m sure everything will be okay. Everyone will be back soon.
> 
> When I came back from archery lessons, I saw Nico sitting at the table, all by himself. I was going to go up to him and ask him to teach me that game of his, but I didn’t want to bother him. Maybe tomorrow. Yeah. Definitely tomorrow.

-x-

> I’m feeling sad today. I’m not exactly sure what happened on the quest, but not everyone came back. One of the hunters died, and so did Nico’s sister. Everyone was sad, but mostly Nico.
> 
> I was in bed last night when I heard shouting. Nico was screaming at Percy, upset that Percy didn’t keep his sister safe. I wanted to go out and hug Nico, tell him that I’m sorry about his sister, but before I could, there were these skeletons coming out of the forest to attack them!
> 
> I’m still not sure what happened, but when Nico yelled at them to go away, the ground opened up and the skeletons were gone. A little while later, Nico ran into the woods and nobody has seen him since.
> 
> I’m scared, and a few of us went to look for him today, but we couldn’t find him. When I was looking around Zeus’ Fist, I found some of Nico’s cards on the ground. They were torn, and I hope it’s not the work of some monster.
> 
> I’m going to keep the cards safe for him, so I can give them to him if he comes back. I hope he does, I still have no idea how this game works and I want him to teach me. I think he could use a friend when he comes back.

 -x-

> Everyone’s been restless with the big prophecy coming closer and closer. The last game of Capture The Flag was a mess. There were three giant scorpions, because regular capture the flag wasn’t dangerous enough, apparently. They attacked, and Percy and Annabeth disappeared for over an hour.
> 
> We found out that there’s actually a secret tunnel inside Zeus’ Fist. Weird, but it makes me think back to Nico, who disappeared in the same place.
> 
> They’re putting together a quest to explore the tunnels, and who knows, maybe they’ll find Nico down there. I hope he’s okay.

 -x-

> You won’t believe what happened today. Percy Jackson turned up, just as we were about to burn a shroud for him. I don’t know how to describe it, but everyone was happy for the first time in a while.
> 
> Nobody will tell me exactly what’s going on, but I’ve heard whispers that they found Nico in the Labyrinth. It’s good to hear he’s still alive. I’ve been working on fixing his Mythomagic cards, gluing the pieces together as best I can. I really hope that I can give them back to him some day. It’s nowhere near a complete set, and I don’t even know if he still likes the game, but I figure it’s the least I can do. That way, I can show him that I want to be his friend.

-x-

> I… don’t know what to say. I’m devastated.
> 
> Today was the worst day of my life. There was a battle in camp. Monsters just kept pouring out of Zeus’ Fist and it was awful. I’m terrible at fighting so Chiron kept me on the sidelines, ready to heal people when necessary.
> 
> I’ve seen injured people before, but never like this. Me and my siblings could barely keep up, even with Chiron helping.
> 
> Lee died. I don’t quite know what to say. We’ve lost campers before but Lee was my brother, my cabin mate, our head counselor. I don’t know what we’re going to do without him. It hurts.
> 
> I saw Nico during the battle, and I’m glad that he’s still alive, but today I’m finding it hard to be happy about anything.

 -x-

> It’s been a few long and sad days, and the worst is yet to come. After losing Lee and Castor, the atmosphere around camp is grim. Our regular activities are less fun now. I mean, we’ve always learned how to defend ourselves from monsters, but everything seems way more real now. Camp has always been a safe haven for me and the other demigods, but those days seem to be numbered. There’s a war coming, and we’re the only ones who can stop it.
> 
> Now that the worst days are over for now, I can finally write down some of the things that happened over the last few days.
> 
> After the battle, Michael was named head counselor of our Cabin, and he asked which of us wanted to help make Lee’s burial shroud. I tried to help, I did, but I was too upset to keep going and Chiron asked if I’d rather tend to the wounded instead.
> 
> If I’m being honest, all I wanted to do was to hide away until the war is over. I’m useless. I’m terrible at archery and I don’t like fighting. Maybe Lee’s death was my fault, if only I’d have been better at fighting, maybe I could have helped and Lee wouldn’t have died.
> 
> Michael told me not to think like that. Our father blessed me with the gift of healing, more so than the others, apparently, and medics are important in war situations. I still find it hard to believe, but for now I’ll have to soldier on.
> 
> I’ve spent the last two days, healing people in the infirmary. It’s been tough, seeing all those people injured and in pain, but it’s a good feeling to see that they’re getting better because of me. I wonder if father is sick of my prayers yet.

 -x-

> When I closed my journal, Nico’s mythomagic cards fell out and I completely forgot to mention that he was there, during the battle.
> 
> I only got to see him for a little moment. I can’t remember exactly what happened because everything went so fast, but one moment Nico was fighting along with everyone else, and the next… The earth rumbled and shook, then it opened up and a dozen warriors came from the ground. And not just any warriors! No, they were all dead, and Nico was the one who summoned them.
> 
> I was too busy staring at the warriors and handing out nectar to notice that Nico had collapsed, and by the time I finally saw what had happened, I grabbed my pouch and tried to run over, but I was held back by one of the Ares campers. They said it was too dangerous to run into the fray, that they’d need me standing by for when actual campers got seriously injured. One of them even told me not to bother with ‘the creepy death kid’.
> 
> So I stayed put, trying to keep Nico in my line of sight. He was alive, but knocked unconscious, and the grass around him slowly died. I had to admit, it was a pretty scary sight, with the black smoke coming off his body.
> 
> But still, he needed my help and I failed him. I should’ve run out there to help him. My own life isn’t worth more than any of my fellow campers, and my father didn’t bless me with this gift just so I could cherry pick who to help.
> 
> Thankfully, he was okay. Percy gave him some nectar and he came to again. I still feel bad about it. It should’ve been me. Healing is all I can do, and I couldn’t even do that.
> 
> Shortly after that, he held out his sword and Daedalus just… disappeared.
> 
> Daedalus gave his life so that we can remain safe in the camp, if only for a little while. The war is far from over.
> 
> The next day, I tried to find the time to catch up with Nico. I wanted to give him his Mythomagic cards, but… I still have them.
> 
> It wasn’t until after dinner that I managed to get away from the infirmary long enough to try to find him. My siblings were going to lead the singalong, but I wasn’t in the mood, even if I was able to carry a tune.
> 
> I thought I saw Nico heading into the forest just before the singalong, but I wasn’t sure. When I saw Percy going in after him, I thought ‘what the hell’ and I followed him.
> 
> As it turns out, Nico was in the forest. When I caught up to him and Percy, they were talking. I kept my distance. Percy seems to be the one person that Nico is sort of close to, even after Nico yelled at him the last time I saw them together.
> 
> I couldn’t help but overhear Nico tell Percy that he was going to leave camp again. As much as I wanted to crash their conversation and ask him not to go, I was frozen to the ground.
> 
> Percy threw something at Nico, and I couldn’t see it very well in the dark of the forest, but it looked like one of his figurines. Nico said that he doesn’t play Mythomagic anymore, and I felt real stupid, standing there with a few of his cards that I glued together. Badly.
> 
> Nico and Percy shook hands, and I was about to walk up to them, but just like that, Nico disappeared. He just walked into the shadows and he was gone.
> 
> I didn’t want him to leave. He deserves a place at camp, even though Nico said that he doesn’t belong here.
> 
> He’s wrong, and one day, I’ll prove it to him. Until that day, I’ll keep these stupid cards safe. Even if he doesn’t want them anymore, they’ll still be a memento to me. A reminder of the promise that I’m making right now. I will prove that Nico belongs here, just like the rest of us.
> 
>  

-x-

> The final battle is drawing closer and closer. Over the past few months, I’ve been training with Chiron to perfect my healing skills. If the battle is going to be as bad as he says, I’m definitely going to need it.
> 
> I’m kept out of all the major battle plans, since I’m not a cabin counselor and just a healer, but I’ve heard whispers that something big is going down soon. Some of the Hermes kids told me that Percy is going to take out the cruise ship that Luke sails around in.
> 
> I don’t know how it came to this. A part of me still refuses to believe that Luke would go this far. I still remember coming to this camp and having to stay in the Hermes Cabin for a little while, and how Luke did the best he could to help us settle in.
> 
> He was the first person to teach me that camp was safe, that it was to become a home for all of us, and I still believe in that. This camp is my home, as it is for so many of us.
> 
> I don’t know why Luke turned his back on all of that, though a small part of me agrees with what he’s saying. I wish I could see my dad more often, and he’s one of the few that actually shows his face around here. But it’s still not worth destroying Olympus, or even camp.
> 
> No, this is my home, and I will defend it, even if it’s the last thing I do. So that others like me can have a home here, a place where they belong.

 -x-

> Percy did it! The Princess Andromeda was destroyed.
> 
> I would have been happier if we hadn’t lost Beckendorf in the process. It’s not fair. The real battle hasn’t even started, and so many people have lost their lives already.
> 
> There is so much going on, and all everyone can do is bitch at each other. We should be preparing for the war, but everyone’s fighting. We can’t even band together like the giant family that we are.
> 
> I should explain. A few days ago, my siblings went on a raid with the Ares campers, and they found this super cool chariot. But now they’re fighting over it. It’s unbelievable. There’s a war going on, and all my siblings can think about is keeping this stupid chariot. It’s not going to do us much good if there isn’t going to be a camp after the battle.
> 
> I talked to Michael about it, but he’s kind of a hothead, and he won’t budge. He says that the chariot belongs to our cabin, even after Clarisse said that the Ares campers wouldn’t fight in the war no more.
> 
> So, let’s recap. We’re going to war, and we won’t have the children of the War God with us. Gods help us all.
> 
> Sometimes I wonder if Nico made the right decision by leaving this camp.

 -x-

> I think I saw Nico in camp today. Maybe it was just my imagination. Why would Nico be hanging out with a couple of satyrs?
> 
> Nico’s been on my mind a lot lately, and I don’t exactly know why. I’m reminded of him every time I open my journal, because I still have the cards tucked into the sleeve, but… I don’t know.
> 
> I guess it’s because the battle could start at any minute, and I’ve been thinking about the war a lot. We’re doing this to protect our home, our parent’s home, and I guess the entire world, too. If the titans take over, everything we’ve ever known will be gone.
> 
> But, you know, home. I promised to myself that I’d prove that Nico belongs here, with us, and if there’s still a camp to speak of after this war is done, I fully intend to uphold it.

 -x-

> I don’t have a lot of time to write this, but if this is the last time that I have a chance to, I’ll gladly sacrifice a few minutes of sleep. I don’t think I’m going to get any sleep at all, if I’m being honest.
> 
> Today was… I don’t even know where to begin. We were summoned to Manhattan, where Kronos and his army were trying to get to Olympus. With everything going on, everyone left to their battle posts immediately.
> 
> I never even got to say goodbye to a lot of people I won’t ever see again. I’m sad, but I have to keep my head in the game for now. The time for mourning will come soon.
> 
> I was helping my wounded siblings at the Williamsburg bridge. I didn’t catch a lot of what was going on, but after my siblings had driven the titan army back, Percy dueled with Kronos. A little while later, the bridge collapsed and Michael was nowhere to be seen. He’s still missing.
> 
> My siblings only just came back from the search. I can only hope that they’ll find him tomorrow.
> 
> I didn’t even get the chance to look for Michael. Annabeth got injured, and she was taken to a hotel close to Central Park. Percy took me there on the back of a motorcycle, and it seems that we were just in time.
> 
> I healed her as best I could, and without Chiron there, it fell to me to turn the place into a field hospital. I got a few campers to get us some mortal supplies, because we can’t heal everyone with our powers. It’s exhausting and draining. I hope that I’ll at least get a decent night’s sleep if tomorrow’s going to be the same as today. I’ll need every ounce of strength that I can get.
> 
> So, for now, I’m acting head counselor. I don’t know why they want me to lead my cabin. I can’t fight, sing or play an instrument. I can only heal. It’s only a matter of time before Dad realizes that I’m a disgrace to his legacy and stops answering my prayers so I’ll lose the only power that I have.
> 
> But that’s for another time. For now, I’m going to keep doing what I can.

 -x-

> It’s finally over.
> 
> We lost too many people, but we won the battle. In the end, it was Luke who came to his senses and ended the war.
> 
> There are so many things I want to talk about, but for now, I’ll stick to the most important things.
> 
> Since Percy is the Hero of Olympus now, he was offered immortality, but he gave it up. For us. He made the gods promise that every demigod will be claimed as soon as they get to camp, and that even the minor gods and Hades get a cabin here so it will truly be a home to all demigods.
> 
> Truthfully, we couldn’t have won the war without Nico. I don’t think I’ll ever forget what I saw today.
> 
> We’d been driven back to the doors of Olympus, and I was tending to the wounded inside the lobby. Kronos’ army had the entrance surrounded, and I was sure that we were toast.
> 
> And then the strangest thing happened. Just like that, Kronos’ army stepped aside, making a path. Everyone was confused, but when I saw a figure make his way through the enemy forces like it was nothing - like they were scared of him, I realized who it was.
> 
> He was wearing a black helmet in the shape of a skull, and he looked both terrifying and badass at the same time. He summoned a ton of undead warriors, and when Hades showed up a little while later, I just wanted to kiss him where he stood.
> 
> Yeah, I guess I’ll try to make sense of that in the coming days.
> 
> Now, I’ve seen Luke fight, and I’ve seen Percy fight, but I don’t think either of them impressed me the way Nico did. It was truly awesome to watch, and I’m a little bit ashamed to admit that I forgot that I was supposed to be healing campers for a moment.
> 
> All in all, I’m happy that Hades is getting a cabin at camp. It might not have been me that proved to Nico that he has a place here, but I’m happy with the outcome. Maybe I can finally give him his cards back after things quiet down.

-x- 

> There’s only about a week left until most campers go home for the school year and things have quieted down a bit.
> 
> There’s a lot of construction going on at the camp, with all the new cabins that are being added, but the one I’m interested in most is the Hades cabin that’s being built just a few doors down.
> 
> I still haven’t spoken to Nico. I’m a little bit scared to, if I’m being honest.
> 
> Remember when I said I wanted to kiss him right where he stood? Yeah, that still hasn’t gone away.
> 
> I’m okay with it. A few days ago, I had a talk with my dad in a dream and I decided to ask him for some fatherly advice. Three haikus and half a song later, he told me that it’s totally okay to like boys, and while I protested it when he told me, I realize now that he was right.
> 
> I think I might like Nico in that way, and it’s making it hard for me to go talk to him. I should at least thank him for all he’s done for the camp.
> 
> I don’t know, I’ll figure it out.

 -x-

[](http://likemybonfireheart.tumblr.com/post/125626670812/my-art-for-the-solangelo-anthology-belongs-to)

 -x-

> I want to hit my fellow campers upside the head. All of them. Over half the campers went away for the school year, but I’ve decided to stay. Now that I’m officially the Apollo cabin’s head counselor, there’s a lot I have to learn before next summer.
> 
> I can’t seem to turn my back without someone whispering nasty things about the creepy kid in the Hades cabin, and it just makes my blood boil. Just a few weeks ago, he saved us all, he found a home, and now they’re doing whatever they can to avoid him.
> 
> I’ve gone up to him a few times, said hello, but he didn’t really seem interested in making conversation. He seems cranky and sad, and I wonder if that’s just a side-effect of being a Hades kid or because he knows what the other campers are saying about him.
> 
> I wish I could find a way to tell him that there’s at least one person here that wants him around, but I’m afraid that if I do that, I’ll reveal what everyone else thinks about him and he’ll leave again, and that’s the last thing I want.

 -x-

> I just realized something. Through being a healer, I had to learn that death is an important part of life, and after the war, I’ve learned to accept that. I don’t think anyone should be scared of Nico just because he has powers that relate to death. I’m not scared of him or what he can do, I don’t think he’s creepy, and I want to find a way to let him know. I want him to be accepted in the only place he can call home, and if that has to start with me, then so be it. I will do whatever I can.
> 
> So tomorrow, I’ll go and talk to him, tell him that he has a friend if he wants one.
> 
> I still like him, but I realize that he’s probably never going to like me back. It’s okay, I still want to be his friend.

 -x-

> Well, that didn’t go as planned. I’d psyched myself up for about an hour and I think I’ve prayed to my father at least ten times before I finally made my way to the Hades cabin - which was more like the Hades construction pit - Mythomagic cards in hand. I figured there would be no better way to show Nico that he has a friend than to show him the cards I’ve been holding onto for years now.
> 
> I knocked for about half an hour, but there was no answer. I think he’s gone again, and that’s something that hurts me more than I thought it would.

 -x-

> It’s been a while, and Nico finally showed up today. I waved at him when I saw him walking across camp, but he just turned his head like he thought I was waving at someone behind him.
> 
> I stopped by the Hades cabin again, even peeked through the windows, but he wasn’t there.

 -x-

> Something weird is going on. Percy’s missing.
> 
> Weirdly, Nico showed up almost immediately, offering his help in trying to find Percy. I was happy to see him again, but right now isn’t the time for me and my stupid maybe-crush.
> 
> Annabeth and Butch are searching for Percy, looking for a dude with one shoe or something. Here’s to hoping they’ll find him soon.

 -x-

> Well, the dude with one shoe turned out to be another demigod. He doesn’t have a clue who Percy is, though, so we still haven’t found him.
> 
> He brought two other demigods with him, his best friend and his girlfriend. So far, only his best friend, Leo, has been claimed.
> 
> I was showing Leo to the Hephaestus cabin when he started rambling on about his aunt or something. I had no idea what he was talking about. He kept saying that he saw an old lady at camp, but I didn’t see anything.
> 
> After introducing him to Jake (seriously, those guys have private rooms under their cabin? Note to self: have a talk with Dad) I took him to the forges to meet the rest of his siblings. Poor kid seemed a little bit nervous, but I’m sure he’ll fit right in soon.

 -x-

> There was a meeting of the cabin leaders tonight, and we got a ton of answers. The new guy, Jason, is apparently a son of Jupiter. That’s right, the Roman version of Zeus.
> 
> Apparently there’s a whole other demigod camp with Roman campers. Who knew? Anyway, Jason said that Percy is likely to be at the other camp, because Hera switched the two of them for some reason. I hope so, because that means that Percy is safe.

 -x-

> I had a strange dream just now, and I’m writing it down so I won’t forget it.
> 
> It’s been a few months since anyone’s seen Nico, but I could see him in my dream. I think he was in the underworld, but before I could see clearly he was in another place, far darker and evil-looking than I’ve ever heard anyone describe the underworld.
> 
> Just before I woke up, he was captured, and the last thing I saw was him looking pale and asleep in a dark place.
> 
> I really hope it wasn’t a prophetic dream and that he’s okay.

 -x-

> Apparently this all has to do with the second Great Prophecy. Awesome. They just couldn't give us a break, could they? One war isn’t enough for our lifetime.
> 
> The Hephaestus cabin is building a giant boat that can fly, so Jason can lead them to the Roman camp where they’ll hopefully find Percy.

 -x-

> The Argo II has left, and now all we can do is wait. I hope this doesn’t lead to another war.
> 
> I had another dream last night, similar to the one before. It was like I was watching a video in real time and what I saw scared me.
> 
> Nico was still in that dark place, practically folded up like someone had stuffed him in a box.
> 
> I couldn’t tell if he was still alive or not, but would I really dream about his death? What if it is a prophetic dream? What if this is how Nico dies and I’m the only one who can stop it?
> 
> Even if it is, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I can’t possibly check every dark place on earth.

-x- 

> I’ve been taking care of Mellie, since she’s pregnant, and she’s been in touch with her husband, via Iris-message.
> 
> Today I was doing a checkup when he called, and I heard everything he said.
> 
> Apparently Nico had been trapped in a bronze jar, which is what I saw in my dreams. I really wish I’d have told someone on the crew of the Argo II. Thankfully, they got him out and he’s still alive, helping the seven with their quest.
> 
> Honestly? When I heard he was still alive, my heart skipped a beat. Is it even possible to crush on someone when you’ve really never even spoken to them?
> 
> Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus. Even though Olympus is cut off from the rest of the world, I’ll send my dad an extra prayer tonight. Hopefully he hears it.

 -x-

> The camp’s surrounded by Romans.
> 
> Apparently Nico, Hedge and one of the Roman leaders are on their way with the Athena Parthenos, which is supposed to bring peace between the camps. I hope they get here in time.
> 
> Everyone’s been working on the camp’s defenses, and I’m just stuck in the infirmary, tending to Mellie and making sure that we’re prepared should this end in a battle.
> 
> I was getting better at accepting that my purpose lies with being a healer, and my dad was helping me through it, but nobody’s heard from him ever since Zeus closed off Olympus.
> 
> Now that we’re facing another war, I’m feeling terrible about not having any talents other than healing again. I really wish I could do more. I don’t want to be the hero of a battle, but I want to be useful.
> 
> If only I could fight, then maybe fewer people would get injured. It’s a double-edged sword and I doubt that I’ll figure this out anytime soon.
> 
> Just like last time, I’ll make do with what I have and try my hardest.

 -x-

> The Athena Parthenos still isn’t here, and the Romans plan to attack at dawn, giving us only a few hours until the battle begins.
> 
> I’ve sent prayer after prayer, hoping that Nico will arrive with the statue in time, but so far it’s been like shouting into the void.
> 
> On top of all of that-
> 
> Gotta run, Mellie just went into labor.

 -x-

> If you’d have told me years ago that I’d survive two wars, I’d have laughed at your face.
> 
> But here I am, alive and well.
> 
> I’m going to share a secret. Delivering a baby was a hundred times more terrifying than the war. I don’t even want to remember it.
> 
> After I delivered Chuck, I was itching to get out of the infirmary for a while, so when they asked if people wanted to go scout ahead, I volunteered immediately. I may or may not have wanted to be there when Nico arrived.
> 
> Of course, when I did, Cecil and Lou-Ellen came with me, probably because they wanted to see the person I’ve been talking their ears off about. It’s good to have friends.
> 
> So we dressed in all-black, got some war paint on our faces, listened to ‘Eye of the Tiger’, strapped daggers to our legs and went out to see what the Romans were up to. It felt so good to do something useful for once.
> 
> Imagine my surprise when Nico walked by, as if he’d been there all along. If he was here, why wasn’t there peace?
> 
> I called out to him and he nearly took my head off with that black sword of his.
> 
> I don’t know what came over me after that. The adrenaline after delivering a baby, my feelings, the surprise of seeing him again, it all bubbled up to the surface and I just…
> 
> Yeah, never mind. I’m trying to forget. We bickered after he made fun of me for not covering my hair, and for some reason I grabbed his hand, which was ice cold and I could feel the darkness that was threatening to envelop him.
> 
> He looked awful. I mean, yeah, he was still cute, even in that hilariously awful tropical number he was wearing, but he looked so pale, it was like he was turning into a ghost himself. No, actually, it was more like a shadow.
> 
> So when he announced that he was planning to keep fighting alone, something inside me just snapped.
> 
> When was this guy going to realize that there are people that care for him?  
>  At that point I’d decided that enough was enough. If he was determined to throw himself headfirst into a suicide mission, then I was going to take my chance and show him that there are people that care by any means necessary.
> 
> Of course, with the adrenaline and all, it didn’t quite go as I’d planned.
> 
> The darkness that I’d felt in him scared me, so I pretty much forbade him from shadow-travelling. I don’t know if it was my instincts as a healer or something else, but I just knew that if he slipped into the shadows again, he wouldn’t be coming back.
> 
> And I needed him back, I needed to tell him that I still have the stupid cards, that I want to be his friend. And maybe one day tell him that I like him.
> 
> Anyway, there were a lot of things that happened. He saved me from six guys that were after me, after I foolishly tried to create a distraction by running away from them.
> 
> We got caught, and that insufferable idiot summoned skeletons from the ground, so he collapsed. I caught him and gave him some medicinal gum. I kind of held him up for a little bit. It was nice. (Don’t tell anyone I said that.)
> 
> Now, don’t ask me where I got this from, but I called him Death Boy for some reason. He didn’t like it, and I guess we were about to argue about it when we were caught by Octavian.
> 
> I don’t think I’ve ever been as angry with someone as I was with Octavian. All this bloodshed and destruction he was planning, all in my father’s name. It’s not what Apollo stands for and even though he’s gone silent, I’m certain that he wouldn’t approve. He’s better than that. We’re better than that.
> 
> I was about to step up and do something foolish, like try to punch Octavian’s lights out when Nico said that he didn’t want a place at either camp, and it just shook me.
> 
> For the second time, I just snapped. Even after all of this, he was still going to run away again, without giving us a second chance?
> 
> Now I get that we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot there, but how else was I going to make him see what I truly thought?
> 
> In the heat of the moment, I just blurted it out. I told him that he had people who would like to be his friend. Told him that I never actually saw anyone reject him, even though I knew full well that everyone had been talking behind his back. I was grasping at straws, no matter how small.
> 
> I tried to get Octavian to stand down, but he wouldn’t listen. He just kept blabbering on and on about how my Father had blessed him or whatever.
> 
> I wish I’d tried harder, because in the next moment, the battle began, but we were saved in the nick of time by Reyna, who came flying in with the Athena Parthenos. Oh yeah, I may have stopped the Greeks and the Romans from fighting by unleashing my awesome whistling powers. (Thanks Dad, I knew that would come in handy one day.)
> 
> Nico started this awesome Braveheart-like battle speech, and once again I just wanted to kiss the life out of him. I just might have, if we would’ve been cut a break for once.
> 
> Apparently the battle in Greece was going sideways, because Gaea rose.
> 
> Now, since I can’t fight, I just patched people up as well as I could, all the while keeping an eye on Octavian, because that bastard was trying to get away and there was no way that I was going to let him.
> 
> I didn’t actually know what I was going to do once I caught up with him, but thankfully I saw Nico fighting next to Jason, and I asked him to come along with me.
> 
> I tried to reason with Octavian one last time, but Nico stopped me. A short while later, Octavian was launched into the air by his own hand, and the battle ended with the sky lighting up.
> 
> I don’t know what to think just yet. It’s all so fresh in my mind. I guess the Octavian thing is going to take some time to sink in. I’m not sure if he deserved death, but once things quiet down in my head, I’m sure that I’ll be able to make more sense of it.

 -x-

> I’m in the infirmary right now, trying to be as quiet as I can.
> 
> For two more days, I’ve got Nico under my care. And good news, Nico’s staying at camp!
> 
> This morning, I saw him talking to Jason, and I waved him over. I couldn’t stand it anymore, for the past few days, I’d seen him at camp, but I’d been too busy dealing with the injured to tell him to come into the infirmary so I could patch him up. He had these god-awful scratches on his arms and he still looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept in weeks.
> 
> I’d hoped that Nico would come by the infirmary, because I’d like to think that we’d maybe… sort of struck up a friendship. There’s nothing to bond people than surviving a war together, right?
> 
> Once things quiet down, I’ll need to have a talk with Nico about that. I don’t want it hanging over us.
> 
> I went with the blunt approach again, telling him that he owed me three days in the infirmary. Imagine my surprise when he agreed.
> 
> He went over to Percy and Annabeth first, but after that he came right back.
> 
> He’s been a little bit grumpy all day, but I think it’s kind of endearing. For now, he’s asleep, after I properly stitched his arms.
> 
> You know, I heard a rumour when I was out getting us something to eat. Someone told me that Nico came out to Percy and Annabeth. Apparently he had a big crush on Percy. (Who didn’t, really?)
> 
> Anyway, I’m not going to tell him that I know. I’ll let him tell me if and when he feels up to it.
> 
> I just can’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, I have a shot.

 

Present Day

 

“Hey,” a voice behind Nico said.

Nico closed the journal that he’d been flipping through with a thump and dropped it back into the big cardboard moving box that had Will’s name written on it.

“How’s your day been? Sorry I couldn’t help unpack. I’d hoped that I’d at least have a day or two off to move my stuff in.” Will stepped into the room, shrugging his jacket off and throwing it on the bed.

Nico turned around, feeling the tears prickle in his eyes. By now, he’d known Will for a long time, and they’d told each other everything, but to see it in the journal, written in Will’s messy chicken scratch… It brought a lump to his throat.

He’d long since worked past his issues, and he was happy. Happy with Will, happy with his life, and most importantly, he was happy with himself.

Still, he wondered how he could have gotten this lucky. Will had told him about it, but he’d never realized how much Will had cared about him before he’d started to accept himself.

It brought a myriad of feelings up to the surface, but right now, as he looked at his fiancé, he couldn’t be happier.

Will frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Nico wiped away the tears that were threatening to spill and he dug the journal back out of the box, opening it to show Will the Mythomagic cards that he’d found tucked into the flap.

Will went beet-red. “O-oh. You found those, huh?”

Nico didn’t answer. He just flung himself into Will’s arms, making pages of the journal fly everywhere, and kissed him like he’d never get another chance.

“I love you, Will,” he whispered, as the Mythomagic cards slowly drifted to the floor.

[ ](http://royal-society-of-pandas.tumblr.com/post/125626804687/nico-didnt-answer-he-just-flung-himself-into)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, and if you did, please leave a comment. 
> 
> Thank you!


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